Mercedes-Benz Fall ‘11 Fashion Week NYC: Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Minkoff is one of my favorite designers, so I was especially excited to learn that one of my favorite hairstylists, curly hair guru Ouidad, was doing the hair for her show. The theme for the collection was "urban gypsy," and Ouidad complemented that with very natural-looking curls. "They're day-after curls," Ouidad said. "It's like the model just woke up after a fabulous night out with the man she loves." To get that effect, Ouidad used a curling iron to add texture and curl into the models' straight locks, prepping hair with Ouidad Play Curl and Climate Control. She then mussed up the curls with a little back-combing for a less polished finish.

The "bold, go-to look" for the makeup was created by Sarah Lucero, Stila Pro Artist for Beauty.com (I always confuse her backstage for one of the models!). She kept the focus on the eyes, which featured a tight black rim and voluminous fluttery lashes. The eye was a little bit smoky, but more diffused. She used Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner in Stingray to create a bold line on the top and bottom, connecting them for a sharp, defined corner, then softened the lines with Espresso Eye Shadow. She then put Chinois, a shimmery nude shade on the lids and covered them with a bit of gloss for shine. The rest of the face was pretty bare: Lucero used Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer to even skin tone, peachy Gerbera Convertible Color to give the cheeks a natural flush and apricot lip glaze for a sheer shine. "The Rebecca Minkoff girl has the confidence to rock any makeup look without wondering if it's done right," Lucero said.